A New Beginning

And just like that, my little boy is off to his first day of preschool.

Off to learn and grow and become more of who he will be in life. Off to, step-by-step, become a more separate individual, someone apart from me and his dad. This is all good, I know...but it's a bittersweet breaking away that makes me stop and say, "Hey wait...that's my boy, getting so big!" When you carry someone in your body and birth them and watch them grow from a helpless baby who can do nothing to a little person who can talk, reason, remember, imagine, connect, and play it's an amazing step to send them out into the world - albeit a safe, small preschool world. I already have a lump in my throat just thinking of what the first day of kindergarten will be like.
I'm sure I'll enjoy my 3 hours, two days a week spending some one-on-one time with Hazel (much deserved on her part!), but I can't help but miss my sweet boy already. It's an exciting and new beginning that I'm grateful for for him to learn and meet people, and to digest what it is to be a part of a group, listen to a teacher, and learn to play with his peers. It's also an ending to our smaller world filled with just his family and close friends. It is a wonderful thing to learn from others, to learn to trust his neighbors, and to learn more about the world around him near and far...and we're blessed to give him this opportunity.
I'm told that a group of three-year-olds begin their preschool year as a pack of wild animals, and that when they leave for the summer they're a completely different group...more like a pack of tamed animals perhaps. A friend of mine's mom has lived by the philosophy that "every stage gets better," when it comes to kids and that's something I've been trying to stay rooted in, instead of focusing too much on what has been or what is "lost." Going off to preschool is a big first step though, among many steps to come, so it's hard to not be nostalgic for this ending. An ending of his baby-hood; the beginning of the ending of his "wild animal," unschooled-ness. Look at those name-tags, it's killing me!


I look forward to the confidence he'll gain in is own self, in meeting people, in listening to directions, in accomplishing tasks that may seem simple to us but are fundamental in cultivating a little person's identity in life. And so begins this year of discovery, socialization, and wonder.

Go get 'em, Soy Boy...you're a stud and a stand-up guy!

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

There are a handful of go-to recipes that are classics in our family...the ones you always bring out when you know what you're gonna get and you know it's going to be scrumptious. My brother Jakob and my sister-in-law Jessica introduced us to Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs several years ago and we've never been the same since! Anything with rosemary is typically a hit with me, so combine ranch and juicy, tender chicken and we've got a winner.



This chicken is a summer essential for the grill and is absolutely delish, not to mention fool-proof. There's just something about it that always turns out right...I think the white vinegar tenderizes the chicken to perfection. I think it was originally from AllRecipes but we've adopted it as our own and I like to assume it will live on for generations of Ondreys to come. Here's the recipe for six.




Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 TBSP minced fresh rosemary
2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
1 TBSP white sugar, or to taste (optional)
5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

Directions
1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear. Serve with roasted vegetables or other preferred sides. Enjoy!

I Love a Parade

Our fourth of July began with a trip to nearby Mayville, New York where we attended their annual Independence Day parade...us and every other fire truck in about a 100 mile radius. This parade, though humble in its presentation, is NOT lacking in fire engines of every kind and from every county! Seriously, if your child likes fire trucks you won't be disappointed.


Jessica and I painted some festive shirts for the kiddos who would be in attendance at the parade so that they could show their holiday spirit. A 5-pack of Hanes t-shirts and some paint can give you the American shirt you're looking for without paying much for it!
It's also not lacking in CANDY! Sawyer and cousin Calvin made out like bandits on the candy front, especially Calvin who is a man on the move! When Sawyer wasn't chilling in his camp chair or shielding his ears from the fire truck horns, I think he actually enjoyed himself. What can I say, he's never been a fan of loud noises.



The parade also had its disturbing fair share of displays espousing Tea Party politics as well as a healthy dose of church "floats" who inadvertently professed their inseparable and simultaneous allegiance to the US of A and God, but that's a blog post for another day so I won't go there.

After the parade we enjoyed some back yard relaxing Ondrey style and ended the day with sparklers and a few fireworks.

Aside from totally ruining my pulled pork that was planned for dinner, all in all it was a great day spent with family. My brother Taylor and his family arrived Friday night and we all spent the weekend enjoying the outdoors, watching the kids and babies do their thing, and taking it easy.

Gorge Hike

I'll be honest. The area we currently live in is (in my opinion) basically depressing all winter. I won't whine or go into details. The good news though is that this place comes alive when the weather warms up. As a summer tourist destination (wineries, nature, the lake, Chautauqua Institution, etc.), it's like we've collectively woken up to the good life.

Our dear friends Amy and Andrew visited us for a long weekend recently and we took advantage of the good weather and the outdoors by taking a trip to the Chautauqua Gorge. We hiked, skipped stones, and enjoyed mother nature beside a beautiful series of beautiful, small waterfalls. The photos below are courtesy Andrew Daigle who acted as our weekend photographer.


I swear Sawyer could just throw stones into water all day if we let him. Whether it's a puddle or an ocean, it makes no difference...he loves it. He also loved jumping off the shale rock ledges...which was a treat for me and his dad who did our best at just letting him be while praying he didn't slip into the raging river not more than three feet away from him. I'm still shocked we have yet to make a trip to the emergency room with this boy, but the kid is good on his feet.


Little miss took in the sites and sounds as well.


If you're ever in Chautauqua County, New York, I highly recommend a day trip to this stunning location! There are a few camp sites too available if you want to go all out and sleep over. Here are the details. What a perfect nature getaway for me and my posse who have been chomping at the bit to come out of our hibernation after a longer-than-expected winter!

5 Benefits of Budgeting and Planning for Meals

Oh, hello. Remember me? I'm slowly but surely emerge from the fog of having a newborn while wrangling a three year old and not living in our own place. We've been busy around these parts...up to our ears in diapers, house-hunting, three-year-old adventures, and living the daily grind. I won't make excuses as to why I haven't been blogging (because the Lord knows no one probably even cares), and I'll do my best to get back into the swing of things.

My "contribution" to our current living situation with my parents is that I plan and prepare a majority of the meals we eat each week. This has been a good practice for me, since before we moved we basically were in limbo between the post-college-we-eat-frozen-pizza-most-nights-or-go-out phase and the responsible we're-33-years-old-and-have-children-who-need-to-eat-something-remotely-healthy phase. In my mind I had built up meal planning to be some sort of skill that took practice and science...it was certainly a hidden knowledge of which I was lacking. Budgeting for meal planning was something I had repeatedly told my self I didn't know how to do as well.

Here's how to successfully budget and plan for meals: Get an envelope and put cash in it. Get a piece of paper and write down each day of the week and what you want to eat (don't forget your veggies). Go to the store and buy what you need with the money you have. It's really not that complicated and it's actually quite a competence-inducing activity. Some of the benefits I've observed include the following.

1. You will eat and be able to prepare a variety of foods. Meal planning has given me a way to use tried-and-true recipes and at the same time has given me the space to force myself to try new ideas. All those recipes you have pinned and waiting to be used can be put to the test. The cookbooks making your kitchen shelves look pretty while they collect dust can stop whimpering each day that goes by while they remain untouched. When you live in a small town like we currently do and the Thai, Mediterranean, and (___insert any food besides pizza and subs you like___) restaurants are non-existant, you learn how to make some pretty good ethnic dishes of your own. I'd venture to say our house is one of the best places to get Thai food in at least a 50 mile radius and I'm not kidding. Necessity is the mother of invention.

2. You will waste less food. I can't even begin to try and count the pounds of food that have spoiled and been thrown away over the years because of good intentions I had on a whim at the grocery store. When you plan for meals, you buy what you say you're going to buy and you eat what you say you're going to eat. It's that simple. We usually plan a night of leftovers as well to make sure food that was bought is eaten and doesn't go bad. If we bought too much, we eat leftovers until they are gone...if that's not enough to force realistic expectations of what to spend and make, I don't know what is. Once I got excited, went overboard, and made way too much chicken chili and we were eating it night and day for nearly a week. Lesson learned and now I know how much to make in the future.

3. You will eat healthier, more whole foods. Now this does require planning for food that is somewhat healthy, but even if you're making unhealthy meals chances are you are eating real food that is not full of preservatives and that has less calories, fat, and sodium than you would be eating at your average restaurant. Meal planning on a budget will force you to eat less pre-packaged food as well. Less fake equals better...it just does.  

4. You will save money. Keeping a budget allows you to know exactly where your money is going. This might seem like an obvious point, but to so many clowns (myself included) in my generation this is not something we really "get." I don't know why, but we don't. Knowing how much cash you have for food and what food you'll buy means you're not flippantly spending money every day figuring out what to stuff in your face. You'll spend less money on gas making last minute trips to the store and you'll spend less on impulsive buying once you're there. You also will have groceries in your home that need to be eaten (since you planned meals around them) so you'll be less likely to eat out as well. To stick to your budget, get an envelope and put the cash in it you plan to spend...not complicated.

5. You will feel competent in the kitchen. I'm no 50s-wanna-be-housewife but I'll admit I feel a sense of competence at a home-cooked meal that I made for my loved ones with only a small amount of stress included. I think anyone would! Planning your meals on a weekly basis allows you to know what is in your fridge at all times (aside from the random Matchbox car or toy train your toddler hides there), it allows you to know what to expect for the week, and it allows you to become a better cook (see #1). All these things combined enable you to not find yourself grasping for ideas at the last minute and either a) making a hellish meal concocted of random ingredients where you're second guessing your every move (i.e. "green onions can go with syrup, right?") or b) throwing in the proverbial towel and just going out to eat because you "don't know how to do anything in the kitchen." With meal planning, you will be the master of your kitchen instead of feeling like a foreigner who doesn't belong there.

Growing up, instead of "practice makes perfect," my mom always said "practice makes better," and she's right.  If you believe that meal planning and food budgeting would be helpful for your roommates, family, or yourself, I encourage you to just start! It's not complicated. You'll learn tricks along the way for what works best for your home, but you won't get better at it if you don't do it.

Now that I've droned on and on, I'll let you go. As a parting gift I'll link you to a great menu planner/grocery list all-in-one from Real Simple. Here it is, but you don't really need it. All you need is a piece of scrap paper and something to write with. Just do it. Go forth!

Better Late Than Never

Sorry for the late announcement, but about two minutes after I published that last post, my contractions started. From 9pm to midnight I concentrated on breathing through each one that came closer and closer together before we left for the hospital and by 4am we had a baby. After only actively pushing through 3 contractions over a span of 12 minutes, our little GIRL entered the world...7 pounds, 8 ounces, and 20 inches of precious life. Purple, squirming, and perfect, she was laid on her mama and comforted after such a quick entrance into the world. It was a wonderful labor that left me amazed at the privilege of giving birth and the power of life.


Our little Hazel Torey is 6 weeks old now and is a real treat! She's a sweet addition to the family and it's hard to imagine not having her around. She's almost an exact replica of her big brother when he was a newborn...just with a little more hair and blue eyes. True to baby form, she basically poops, cries, sleeps, and eats...what more could you ask for? We're so blessed to be her parents!

Waiting

I'm nearing 39 weeks of pregnancy and the waiting game is beginning. I feel, of course, unjustifiably overdue since Sawyer was born at a convenient 37 weeks, right before I got to any point of true uncomfortableness or annoyance at my growing belly. With Sawyer, he just came before we even thought about packing for the hospital, before we started to wonder when labor would start, before strangers even considered asking when I was due (with a hint of sympathy and discomfort in their eyes).

This time around preparing for a new life to enter our family is different, mainly because we're a family of three with a little boy who I believe has NO clue what is about to hit him. We don't know the baby's gender and we don't really have a nursery ready (due to living with my parents, but it's not like a newborn needs one anyway, right?). We've tried to talk a bit about the baby coming, but if I were a betting woman, my guess would be that Sawyer will not be a fan at first. He's not one to embrace the unfamiliar and I suspect this will be no different. I'm praying that he will come to embrace his new sister or brother soon enough and not be too thrown off by the whole life-change, but who could blame him if he is? I believe it's a huge gift to give a child a sibling, but I'm definitely anticipating a bit of a bumpy road with his transition to this new way of life.

As I wait, I'm enjoying life with just the three of us. I am comforted by the last days I get to spend with my precious Sawy-boy...just us. I'm sure he'll miss our days of just the three of us, but I will too and I'm nostalgic for the three years I've had with just him. Such a concentrated (but healthy and balanced) love is something that I think you necessarily can only share with your first-born child while it's the only one. It's not that I won't love the second as much as the first, but really...I'd be kidding myself if I thought things would be the same once the baby comes or that this sweet second child will have as much 1-on-1 time as Sawyer did. It's just the reality of time and capacity. I'm trying to soak up every moment I can with him...despite not being able to  run and move around as much as I'd like with him.

As I wait, I'm preparing my body/mind/spirit for the amazing experience/responsibility of giving birth to a human being. How insane is it that a woman's body can create and sustain another person?!  Recently, I find myself looking over at Sawyer and TK and thinking, "you two will never physically experience the pain and pleasure of childbirth, and you have no idea what I am about to bear!" Carrying and delivering a baby is an awesome privilege. I had a very positive and empowering birth with Sawyer, something I give great thanks to my husband, our midwife, and our doula in helping with. It was an experience, though painful and intense, that I left knowing my body could do amazing things, and I'm hoping this time around will also be empowering. In the meantime...I'm trying to relax and reinforce in my mind that women have given birth without medicine for thousands of years and that my organs were made to embrace this coming pain and to deliver a precious life into the world. I've been trying to surround myself with positive reinforcement (some shown here) that says I can do it and that labor is not something to fear.

As I wait, I'm hopeful for the changes we'll embrace once this new life enters ours. Before I had a Sawyer, it was hard for me to imagine loving a baby right away or even grasp how that love would "happen." I know it's a common feeling, but now I can't imagine loving another child as much as I love my little boy. I've been told it's not "dividing" your love but that your love multiplies with each child...and I believe the wise people who claim this. Just like an overwhelming love came naturally for my first, I'm confident that that same love will pour into me when this sweet baby is delivered and that nature will take it's course. Despite my confusion on how you can love another child as much as your first, I am excited to snuggle up with a tiny little one, breathing in that fresh new-baby smell. It's an miracle to watch a person grow from being a newborn into a talking, thinking, and self-directed person, and it's a responsibility I don't take lightly. What an honor it will be to care for, sustain, and guide this new person in his or her life! Alright kiddo...make an entrance soon please!

Godzilla

One thing living in your parents house allows you to do is remember and reconnect with household objects you grew up with but may have forgotten. An item I have a new-found appreciation and love for is this crazy old kitchen knife we grew up with, aptly named "Godzilla." 


As a child or teenager, one typically doesn't give much thought to their parent's cutlery, but since my new contribution to the family (now that we're living here) is cooking our meals, I find myself using this knife many times a day. And I love it. I don't even know where they got it, but it's like a family heirloom. TK thinks it looks like some relic from the Crusades.


Godzilla may look and be old, but it cuts everything like it's slicing butter. I honestly try to think of what could possibly need chopped or diced just so that I can use it. For all I know, knives made these days are better, but not the ones I've encountered. So I'm loving this puppy while I can...and asking for it to be written into the will that I would receive it. We'll see if my siblings object. It could result in an eventual family feud, but I've just got to keep that knife! 

Letter to My Three-Year-Old

Since I've been so bad at keeping a baby book, I've tried to write an occasional letter to Sawyer to keep for him to read some day. Here's my letter for his three-year birthday that happened over the weekend.

My Sweet Sawyer,
Today you are three! I can't believe how fast you have grown from a helpless baby into a little boy who does and says and knows so much. I'm so proud of you every day and I can't imagine our life without you in it. I remember when you were born and I wondered what kind of person you would be...who you would become. It's amazing that some of that is already revealed to us in such a small person. Here are some things I know about you that I hope you'll continue to grow into and hold onto in your life.


You are empathetic. You have such an empathy for people, and that's not something a lot of three-year-olds possess. Even when you were a baby you seemed to sense when someone was sad or just not right...and your expressions gave away your emotions. I think kids getting scolded or others being sad or worried breaks your heart more than it does anyone else in a given situation. You're a sensitive soul and I don't want you to lose that awareness of people's feelings. In life you will need to balance your care for others with care for yourself and your own feelings, and I'll do my best to help you learn how and when to do that.


You are active. I believe you are an extremely calm, manageable boy, and I thank my lucky stars every day for that...you've made parenting seem easy to me. What's great though is when you have the opportunity to play and be free, you relish in it. To see your toddler arms and legs move and go brings me such joy! Not every child is blessed with physical strength and capability, so I want you to not take movement and play for granted. I hope you'll continue to take care of your body by using it as much as you can.

You are handsome. Now I know every mom thinks her children are the cutest, but really, you ARE! Sometimes I am struck by what a charmer you can be...your big green eyes and your small, perfect chin make me melt. To me you are physically perfect in every way. Remember though, that what makes you the most handsome is your kindness and love. I've met many attractive people who were jerks and they very quickly lose their appeal. For all I know, you'll end up turning into an awkward, nerdy teenager who is below-average looking, but I doubt it. Don't ever think you are better than anyone or more special because of your looks because that is not true.

You are silly. I love when you laugh and don't hold anything back. I can't think of many things that are better than tickling a little boy who is just beside himself with laughter! I love when you do a funny dance or make a funny face and look up at me or your dad with a look that says you know what you're doing is hilarious. I know - to a certain extent - that the coming years will see a loss of your inhibitions as you develop an awareness of yourself that will inevitably be influenced by your peers, but I hope you will practice feeling free to be silly and uninhibited. Experiencing joy without being self-conscious is priceless and I would think nearly impossible to get back once lost.

Oh Sawy, I'm so hopeful for your future! I'm excited to see the boy, teenager, and young man you will become in the years that will pass all too quickly. I pray that I will do my best to teach, guide, and encourage you in life...through both joys and adversity...so that when you leave the comfort and shelter of our home you will trust who you are and thrive! I think that's the best gift I can give you in life.


And even though I know that it will just get better and better to know you more fully, it breaks my heart that you are no longer two. Time has gone too fast and I can't stand that it doesn't stop sometimes. I just want to pause you where you are right now, but I know that won't work.

When I was growing up, my parents had a picture on their wall with a mom rocking her baby with this poem. It never mattered much to me, but now its words ring truer than ever to me.

"Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow.
For babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs and dust go to sleep,
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep."

I love you so much,
Your Mama

Over the River and Through the Woods

Over the last several days we've been enjoying a whirlwind tour through our old Midwest stomping grounds and loving every minute of it. Right now we're at TK's parent's home in Princeton and we took a little trip yesterday to Bishop Hill, an historic Swedish settlement in western Illinois. I've been wanting to go for a visit ever since I heard about it's existence to check out the gift shops and bakeries full of Scandinavian goods.
It of course didn't disappoint! Our first stop was the Colony Store which I'll gladly accept a gift certificate to at any time. Just feast your eyes on all the Swedish food, tomtes, and linens!



We had a scrumptious lunch of Swedish meatballs and lingonberries at one of the old restaurants in town...true to form, Sawyer enjoyed sucking on his water's lemon as an appetizer. The local bakery wasn't too shabby either!




We picked up at few items from the store for the kiddos (one still en utero with an undetermined gender)...a Christmas tree ornament for Sawyer and an awesome bib from Grandma for the baby. I'll admit that  unashamedly love Scandinavian anything, so for me our visit was a real treat. I can't wait to head back to Bishop Hill this summer for their Midsummer festival in the end of June!